Thanks to volunteers around the nation, members of the Hancock County arts community are able to show their work far and wide. (Photo by Joe Tomasovsky)
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, The ARTS in Hancock County has been active in revitalizing the local arts community by locating resources for artists and venues to sell artwork. Thanks to Artisan/Santa Fe, a huge donation of art supplies enabled local artists to get back to work.
After a successful opening at the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Ark., the next venue for showing and selling work is Minnesota.
Art Share is a project of Minnesota’s Helping Hands effort, which has sent numerous trucks of supplies to the Gulf Coast. Instead of returning North with empty trucks, Mary Gray, CEO of MinnesotaHelpers.org, arranged for the trucks to gather artwork from artists across the Coast to show and sell in Minnesota.
Debbie Woodward, curator of the Northrup King Building Gallery, and her husband, Paul, visited Hancock County last week to meet some of the local artists who will be showing their work in Minnesota. They toured the area and were treated to a potluck supper to meet artists who have sent work to Minnesota.
On March 31, the Frank Stone Gallery in Minneapolis hosted an exhibit and reception for the artwork, with a second opening and reception at the Northup King Building, also in Minneapolis, on April 8. Other venues for showing the work in April include the Minnetonka Center for the Arts, The Grand Hand Gallery, Augsburg College, St. Thomas College and a new coffee shop/gallery in South Minneapolis.
These art shows are not merely exhibits but a means to sell artwork since virtually all galleries in both Bay St. Louis and Waveland were destroyed. In order to keep our artists here we need to find ways to sell their work.
Additional venues for the future exhibits include galleries in Washington D.C., and Port Townsend, Wash. If anyone out there has ideas for locations for other shows, please let me know. Thanks. We need all the help we can get.
Gone with the slab
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What a great story of an industry/community moving forward and coming together! You tell your story with great passion and eloquence, Gwen. Thank you for your posts.
Stephanie Umbro, Maine (Sent Apr 11, 2006 5:19:55 PM)
one positive thing leads to another...GO Gwen!
andy,ms (Sent Apr 17, 2006 10:24:05 AM)
Yes I have an idea for a show...how about right here local where the tax revenues will be here where it is needed the most. Just how much tax revenues for local and state have been taken in to benefit the "local areas" these artists reside in? My calculation based on where their artwork in being sold..."NONE". Maybe it's time the local artists contribute to the rebuilding of their own areas by selling their works here and paying taxes here that will benefit the areas and not somewhere else.
J,BSL (Sent Apr 25, 2006 5:59:27 AM)
Hi J. Great idea about having a local show. Can we use your living room? Or do you own a gallery here in BSL?
Ruth Thompson, Bay Saint Louis,MS (Sent Apr 27, 2006 12:49:06 PM)
Our goal is to help our artists sell work wherever possible. Two factors influenced our plan to "export" art work. One, since many people are living in trailers while making plans to rebuild, they are not in the market to buy art work. Two, most all of our local galleries were destroyed leaving us with little display area.
Believe me, we look forward to the day when our art community is back to business here at home.
Gwen Impson, Bay St. Louis / Waveland, MS (Sent Apr 27, 2006 12:55:09 PM)
We in Minnesota would love nothing more than to know that the arts community in Bay St. Louis and the Mississippi Gulf Coast is thriving again. We feel blessed to have met so many wonderful artists who really have been incredible ambassadors for the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
The artist presence at the Artist Reception in Minnesota was inspiring to everyone who attended. It helps people who have forgotten about Katrina to start thinking about what they can do to help.
Maybe you will not see some of the sales tax but you will benefit from the income tax and from the money the artists will now have to spend in your local economy. People will also know how to contact the artists in Mississippi so they can contact them directly and make a purchase from Mississippi providing you with the tax base you so desperately need.
You do have a wonderful community with many courageous people. We hope to come back in the fall. In the meantime we will do all we can to spread the word about how people can help Mississippi and to sell artwork in order to keep the creative community in Mississippi.
All the galleries have been selling the artwork without taking any commissions. The art work has been shipped at no expense to the artists. There is no personal financial gain --- just a desire to partner with people who need a hand up until homes and galleries are rebuilt and people need art.
And thank you to J for caring enough to read about artists.
Debbie Woodward, Minneapolis, MN (Sent May 5, 2006 10:33:13 AM)
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